An Unforeseeable Betrayal
by Eridanus7Always
Summary: Merlin had made many mistakes over the years. But this was one mistake that he couldn't fix and he couldn't escape.


I'm soooo sorry guys. I just want to apologize in advance for this little tragic one shot. Set during 4X6 Servant of Two Masters. Hugs for everyone. Enjoy and please review.

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Merlin pushed open his eyes, his vision swimming as the dark shadows solidified before his eyes. The torchlight flickering hauntingly across the dark pool that stretched out around Merlin's prone body. Merlin blinked drawing his hands slowly underneath him as his head spun widely trying to remember where he was or what had happened.

He had been with Arthur. He had been hurt but could all this blood have come from him. Merlin slipped falling back into the slowly stagnating dark pool of blood. It smeared warmly across his cheek but he did not feel any pain. Where as a wound should be throbbing hotly, burning where the steel had torn across his flesh all he could feel was the deafening pounding in his head.

Merlin groaned dropping his head as he drew his arms back beneath him trying once more to lift himself from the ground, his arms shaking with the effort as his eyes caught the dull gleam of the hilt of a small dagger lying not far from where he had fallen. He recognized that blade. It was his own. Gaius had given it to him many years ago to keep him safe, just in case. Merlin reached his fingers out for it, finding some comfort in the familiar sight of the small blade, the heft of it under his fingers. Merlin drew his knees slowly underneath him not disturbed by the significant amount of blood that was soaking warmly into his pants and smeared darkly across the floor. It was somehow familiar even if he was almost certain it couldn't be his own.

Merlin drew the small dagger up, shifting his fingers around the hilt as a memory pierced across his vision like a sharp hot rod through his skull. He gasped dropping the blade from his fingers recoiling back slipping in the blood that suddenly seemed vile seeping through his pants.

Merlin gasped pressing his hand against his mouth muffling a terrible broken sob as he fell forward tears burning down his cheeks. He sucked in a short breath drawing his bleary eyes up looking out across the dark bloody room that suddenly seemed to leer up around him. The blood seeming vile soaking into his pants, drying to his skin, still warm against his cheek.

Merlin gaged leaning forward feeling the bile rise up in the back of his throat as he fought it down. It couldn't be true. He wouldn't. His eyes drew to a dark shape resting just out side the torch light. Merlin pushed himself to his feet slipping as he fell back to his knees, sucking a short breathe through his teeth, using all the strength he had to hold himself together.

Getting to his feet Merlin teetered taking several unsteady steps forward shaking his head wearily. "No." Merlin whispered his knees giving out beneath him. "God no." Merlin said breathlessly through clinched teeth tears begging to burn down his cheek.

And in that moment he knew it was true. He had. Distorted terrible images knitted together in Merlin's fragmented mind framing a sickening disjointed memory of what he had done. Of what Morgana had made him do a small voice reminded him. But nonetheless he had done it.

Merlin fell forward biting down hard on his lip hearing Arthur's voice echoing in his ears. Merlin. He called out. Please Merlin. He had begged. I thought I could trust you. He had gasped.

Merlin felt the bile rise bitterly in the back of his throat in disgust at what he had done. Merlin gasped struggling to draw breathe through the terrible sobs that gripped his body causing his thin shoulders to shudder with his inexplicable grief.

Merlin knew then none of the blood was his. It all belonged to Arthur, his King, his friend. So much blood because no matter how much Arthur had begged in the end Merlin hadn't stopped, driven forward by that one single dark thought Morgana had planted in his mind he hadn't stopped till it was done.

Merlin reached out wrapping his trembling bloody hands around the stiff shoulder rolling the cold body into his arms. Holding tightly to Arthur, Merlin bent forward under his guilt and grief burying his face against Arthur's chest. And all he kept saying between each deep shuddering sob was I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But nothing could make this wrong right. Nothing could undo what Merlin had done. The King was dead slain by the one man he thought he could always trust.


End file.
